Method of making shoes



Feb. 2 1926.

s sw A. F. PYM

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES Original Filed Jan. 7, 1921 Patented Feb. 2l,1926:u

unirse stares .smear OFFICE.

ARTHUR F. PYlVI, OF MARBLEHEAD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOEMAGHNERY CORPORATLION, OF PETERSON, lltlll JERSEY, fr

N EW JERSEY.

CORPORATON OF METHOD OF MAKING SHOES.

Original application filed January 7, 1921, Serial No. 435,636. Dividedand this application filed March 2l, 1924. Serial No. 700,843. i

To all lwhom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, ARTHUR F. Prir, a citizen ot the United States,residing at lilarblehead, iii the county of Essex and Commonwealth oli'Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Methods oi' MakingShoes, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompany ing drawings, is a speciiication, like reference characters onthe drawings indicsnsing` like parts in the several ligures.

rlhis invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and mor-eparticularly to the shaping of the upper materials over their lasts, thepresent application being a division oi' a prior application Serial No.435,636, tiled on January 7, 1921.

The toes of shoes are commonly lasted iii what are known as bed lastingmachines by the use oi wipers shaped ,in accordance with therequirements ci' the different styles and sizes of shoes, this type ofmachine having means tor adjusting the wipers in various ways, includingmeans tor varying relatively the pressures applied to the uppermaterials by the edges of the wipers at the end and the sides oi4I thetoe. It is the practice, in making the wipers, to determine thecurvature of their wiping edges by the use ot a pattern havingsubstantially the shape oit the insole, so that the wipers are designedsubstantially to lit the toe end ot' the insole.`

llVhile this curvature is doubtless the best for practical purposes,having regard to the conditions met with at different stages in the toelasting operation, it will be evident that in view ot the addedthickness of the upper materials, wipers shaped in this manner will notexactly fit the toe of the shoe in upwiping the upper over vthe last andthe edge of the insole, nor on welt shoe work will they exactly conformto the diderent curvature presented by the margin ot the upper materialslying against the rib ot the insole at the end of the ovsrwiping operation. Moreover. turther deviations from accuracv in the conformity otthe edges `ot the wipers to the curvature of the toe may result-from themanner lin which the wipers are adjusted by the'operator. *Thisv may bedue not only to lack of care on the partei' an operator, but also to theifact that since thegathers or wrinkles in theuii'iai'gjin or the uppermaterials arelmore pronounced about the end of the toe than at the sidesoi. the toe, operators have a tendency to adjust the wipers to applyrelatively greater pressure at the end of the toe, so that frequentlythe pressures applied at the sides are not fully adequate to wipe theupper tightly over the last and the edge ofthe insole and to press itclosely into the angle between the feather and the ribot the insole.When a' shoe has been lasted in this manner, the upper is likely not tobe held tightlyin the angle at the base of the insole rib at the sidesof the toe bythe welt-attaching stitches, and as a result in the soleleveling machine the upper may be pressed outwardly in these locations.with substantial detrimentto the shape of the finished shoe.

The present invention provides an improvement in methods of makingslices whereby the above-mentioned undesirable consequences areeliminated. VFor the pur poses in View, the invention provides forapplying to the toe of the upper, after it has been lasted in the usualmanner, additional treatment to work it or wipe it heightwise of thelast and to wipe or mold it inwardly over the insole. While Vtheinvention is not limited to treatment oie the upper at the sides of thetoe, it is herein il-' lustrated by reference to treat-nient applied inthese locations only, since it is at the sides of the toe that thelasting is vmost likely to be deicient, as hereinabove` explained. It isconsidered that the wiping of the upper heightwise of the toe and thewiping or molding` of. it inwardly over the insole may be mosteffectively accomplished in thcA presence of heat which will shrink theupper enough to take up anyslack produced by the supplemental wipingoperation and thus make it unnecessary to disturb the means whereby theupper is Vfastened in lasted position and will also assist in setting74the upper in its acquired shape.

The novel method will now be more particu-larly explained by referenceto the accompanying drawings and thereafter point ed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Y

Fig.l l isa plan view of wiping means adapted for use in practicingthemethod of this invention, this means, being more fully illustratedand described in its relation to other parts of an organized machine inmy prior application of which this application is a division;

. F ig. 2 illustrates the upwiping action at thesides of the toe of alasten welt shoe;

F ig. S illustrates the later step of wiping and molding the upper intothe `angle between the feather and the rib of the insole and of applyingmolding pressure at the sides ofthe last, and u Fig. 4l is a perspectiveview to illustrate more fully the character of the operation shown inFig.

The method is herein illustrated as carried out by the aid of wipermembers 2 which are pivoted at 4L upon wiper holders 6. so that they mayturn about axes extending heightwise ofthe shoe to adapt their positionto the lengthwise contour of the shoe. These wiper members have inwardlyprojecting portions adapted to be utilized first to engage and upwipethe upper at the sides of the toe, as illustrated in Fig. 2,` and at alater stage to wipe the upper inwardly over the feather of the insoleand apply molding pressure in the angle between thefeather and the rib,as illustrated in Fig. 8. yThe members 2 are also provided with shoeengaging faces 8 which apply molding pressure to the sides of the shoeexteriorly of the shoe bottom when these members are in the positionsAillustrated in Fig. 3, while at the same time limiting the extent ofinward movement of the members. During their operations on theshoe thewiper members 2 are heated to the required degree by electrical heatingunits l() which are mounted therein.

The means whereby the wiper members 2 are operated and controlled, andthe means whereby relative movements `between these members and thevshoe in Ithe direction of the height of the shoe are effected, need notbe described vhereinfsince they Vare fullyl rdescribed -in the copendingapplication. Likewise y:the step of llasting the toe is not hereinillustrated in detail, since it may =be accomplished in the same manneras common :heretofore and as well understood in rthe art. It :will beVunderstood that a shoe `having its toe end lasted and with the upperheld in lasted position, for example by a binder wire, as shown, .is sopresented that the wiper members 2 when they are closed inwardly willengage the sides of the toe below the edge of :the shoe bottom,substantially `as illustrated in -Fig. '2, and while the wiper membersarethuslpressing yieldingly against the sides of the toe at and near thelocation of the tip`seam, relative movement of the shoe and the wipermembers is effected to cause said members to wipe the upper toward "theedge {'o'fth'e insole' and -thftis 'further `to tightenit over thelastin these locations. Thereafter the wiper members are closed inwardlyover the .feather of the insole toward and it may be against the toebinder wire a and its fastening tacks t, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and4, thus wiping the upper inwardly and further tightening Vit as well asdefining a better angle between the feather `and the rib of the insole.The wiper members are then in position to apply molding pressure to theupper 'both on the sides of the toe at and below the edge of the insoleand in the angle between the feather and the rib, 'andthey will be heldin these positions as long as is desirable to cause the upper to set inits newly vacquired shape.

The heating of the wiper members 2 by the heating units l0 contributesfurther to the purposes in view, since the heat has a shrinking effect`upon the leather which assists in taking up any slack produced by thesupplemental wiping operation, so that it is unnecessary to disturb theupper fastening means or to apply additional fastenings after the upperhas been subjected to the treatment of the members 2. It will also b'eunderstood that the application ofy I heat likewise assists in moldingthe upper about the edge and over the feather of the insole.

Treatment in accordance with the method of this invention produces a toewhich is tightly lasted atl thesides as well as about the end. of thelast, and in which the angle in the margin of the upper between thefeather and the rib of the insole is sharply defined at the sides of thetoe as well as in other locations, thus permitting -the welt and theupper to be secured ytightly and closely at the vbase of the insole ribin the inseam sewing operation.

WVhile the invention is herein illustrated by lreference to l'welt "shoework, for which it lhas very important advantages, it will be understood"that it is not limited to that particular kind'of work :but may be usedto advantage in the manufacture of other kind-s of shoes. u

Having explained the nature of the invention and set forth fully how itmay be practiced, what I claim as new and desire to secureby LettersPatent yof the UnitedStates is 1. That improvement in methods `ofinaking shoes which consists in lasting the toe of a shoe including thefastening of the upper in lthe angle between the feather and the rib ofthe insole. and thereafter 'working the upper over the toe of the-:lasttoward the Iedgerof the insole and then inwardly into the angle betweenthe feather and the rib-of ythe insole to tighten the upper and conformit more Closely to the last and to the contour of the insole.

2. -That improvement in methods of inaking shoes which consists inlasting the toe of a. shoe including the fastening of the upper in theangle between the feather and the rib of the insole, and thereafter'while the upper is held in lasted position by its fastening means wipingit heightwise of the last at the opposite sides of the toe and moldingit in the angle between the feather and the rib of the insole to tightenit and to form a better angle to receive the upper securing stitches.

3. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in lastingthe toe of a shoe including the fastening of the upper in lastedposition, and thereafter while the upper is held in lasted position byits fastening means applying to the lasted toe portion of the upperwiping pressures directed heightwise of the last and inwardly over thebottom of the last to work the upper more closeljT and tightly intoconformity to the contour of the last.

4. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in lastingthe toe of ashoe including the fastening of the upper in lastedposition, and after the upper has been fastened in lasted positionwiping` it heightwise of the last at the opposite sides of the toe andmolding it in the angle between the feather and the rib of the insolewhile subjecting it to the action of .heat to tighten it over the lastand to prepare it for the inseam sewing operation.

5. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in lastingthe toe of a shoe including the fastening of the upper in lastedposition over the feather and against the rib of the insole, andthereafter applying, at the opposite sides of the toe only, wipingandmolding pressures to tighten the upper over the last and to define abetter angle between the feather and the rib ofthe insole. i

6. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in'applying to the lasted toe portion of a shoe, while the upper isfastened in lasted position, both upwiping and overwiping pressures, andat the same time subjecting the upper to the action of heat, to tightenthe upper over the last and to shape it in better conformita7 to thecontour of the last and of the insole.

7. That improvement in methods of mais ing shoes which consists inapplying to the sides of the lasted toe portion of a shoe, after theupper has been fastened in lasted position in the angle between thefeather and the rib of the insole, upwiping pressure toward the edge ofthe insole, and thereafter applying molding pressure both at the sidesof the toe exteriorly of the shoe bottom and in the angle between thefeather and the rib of the insole while subjecting the upper to theaction of heat.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR F. PYM.

